Radiation therapy includes several different procedures, one of which is the implantation of radioactive seeds, such as iodine or palladium, into the patient's body adjacent the cancerous cells. Normally, the seeds are implanted at spaced positions in the body using a seed applicator. One common applicator is known as a Mick applicator. Various types of seed cartridges carrying multiple radioactive seeds have been designed for use with the Mick applicator and other applicators. However, these prior art seed cartridges typically only hold a small number of seeds, and thus must be changed or reloaded at frequent intervals, which involves more time and expense.
Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved seed cartridge to hold and dispense a large quantity of radioactive seeds.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a seed cartridge adapted to mount in various seed applicators, including a Mick applicator.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved seed/spacer dispenser for radiation therapy which includes a seed cartridge and a spacer cartridge used for loading implant needles.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a radiation seed applicator which can selectively implant both seeds and spacers into a patient's body.
These and other objectives become apparent from the following description of the invention.